Combat Veterans' Symptoms of PTSD and Partners' Distress: The Role of Partners' Perceptions of Veterans' Deployment Experiences

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can cause relationship difficulties, particularly when symptoms are not well understood. The relationship between Service members' mental health symptoms, partners' perceptions, and partners' distress were examined among the Utah National Guard and Reserves. Only when partners believed that Service members had low trauma exposure did Service members' withdrawal and numbing PTSD symptoms relate to partners' psychological and relationship distress.